‘Let Russia do what they want’: Rob Ford opposes rainbow flag flying at Toronto City Hall

"This is about being patriotic to your country, this is not about someone's sexual preference. No, I do not agree with putting out a rainbow flag," Ford told reporters at city hall. He later added, “Let Russia do what they want.”

Good morning everyone. Steely too late, the lid came off at 6:31;49 this am when you posted. Must be nasty in the swamp eh? Gurpy when we have our little get togethers ,(summits),everyone is welcome, escorted or not. I personally have met some very nice and interesting people. That said I have yet to meet any of the swampers. It must be too far to crawl ,getting there and back. I suppose all those that live on the dark side have trouble coming out into the light, for whatever reason. Have a great day all.

This question came to me overnight.It is a variation on if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there does it make a noise?If a swamper makes a statement from on or under the water and nobody cares does it count in our collective discussion?Could that explain why they continue to troll in the ether of the internet? Does the sun hurt their eyes after hours in the darkness of doubt and ignorance?Hmm...I'm sure our resident expert on everything will muster a response with his followers.Stay tuned for Saturday Madness in the Swamp.

Sometimes, you have to think like a fish, then you can understand the reasoning of some people. Just for a second you imagine a fish moving out from the water and seeing all this world of us, which is totally unknown to a fish. Specially a sucker, just out the water and discovering roads, and houses and people. Of course, if you're not capable of figuring it out, you know nothing about roll playing.

Everything goes OK, till the sucker just stands there watching the brightness on top of the light pole; and then he discover a truck, just when it rolls over it.

fLY....is it really that difficult to just scroll on by what you call swampers? By yacking about them every single day on here you feed their frenzy. I guess I best be careful as you may have already included me in with those nasty swampers.

Steelworker bring something positive to this forum.I don't understand your mentality. If you are trying to score points you are not. If you are trying to be funny you are not. It comes down to this..take it with heart and I mean no disrespect but please go and occupy yourself with something that makes you happy instead of hanging around here.

To the folks on this forum why do you tolerate some on here..honestly, Yes freedom of speech yadda yadda. What about discourse and respect and a good debate without the word "moron" and "retards". Really folks. Just shows the lack of education and moral values. I am just saying this because it is truly sad.

@lookaroundi enjoy reading this comment section everyday..find it quite funny. i think most do the same. sometimes (like now) i will post a response. sometimes i post a rant about p.u.c.speaking of p.u.c, time to do laundry. its the weekend and suppose to be cheaper..maybe i can turn on the heat too and warm up baby and great grandma ;)

well i hope it is cheaper on weekends..by 9pm im drained. i dont feel like staying up any later to do laundry. its hard work taking care of an old person and a baby. almost the same as taking care of 2 babies..lol

How many posters do you think are registered on SooToday?Of that amount how many attend a "summit"?A rather miniscule number compared to the amount of posters on this site wouldn't you say.So what does that tell you about the underlying reason that the vast majority of folks post on here.Is it "mental masturbation", as our pal statusquo puts it or to meet fellow posters.Fairly safe to say it has nothing to do with crawling, or coming out from the dark, or any of your other ridiculous assertions. ...and if you have not met any of the "swampers" as you like to put it...did it ever occur to you that they/we have no interest in meeting you.One can attend to a Zoo to meet with an ape.....

right wing most of the negativity on this site is started by your passive aggressive arrogant posts. As such the swampers cannot debate nor are they willing to hear another side. Thats is tradition with the right, they dont care want anyone else thinks or who they hurt in pursuit of the all mighty dollar and anything that stands in their way they label as leftist or socialism!Heck right now there is not one person on the right that can put a discusion together and actually support it with anything valid.

further to that there are few on this site that can be as rude and directly offensive as I am when I am or someone else is unjustly attacked. I assure you when the insults start flying few can old themselves against me. Some of my best posts have been pulled because right wing, and steelworker start crying and run, that being said and that being the case then simply shut it and play nice or leave if you dont like what you are reading.

I think "debate" is healthy and refreshing. I have observed however than some posters pretty much "attack" anyone who does not share their ideas or thoughts. The great orator on here should know the rules of good debating.

This place is what it is and personally I kinda like the way it is.There is a level of self monitoring by the posters on this site that results in posters being axed that get over the top with their mouth.That is why some have to take a 4th, 5th, 6th...try at it.

Thanks for the info Wild. I watched some of the opening ceremonies for the Bon Soo and they are going to end it with some kind of wine and cheese party at the Bushplane Museum?No big bash at the Essar this year? I thought that they did a good job with those cover bands like the Michael Jackson guy and ABBA,The Beatles and so on. It was a good time out with some good toe tapping music.

Hi Grump: In response to your early note, I have attended at least four or five "summits", including one where we sat next to each other and had a pleasant discussion, despite the fact that I made it very clear that I support the current federal government. That being said, it does not mean that I agree with everything that they do. I think that politics and religion are things where you subscribe to the group that you consider most applicable to your views. Therefore, although I practice one form of religion, it does not mean that I have to agree with every facet of it. Similarly, with politics. I am currently enjoying the weather here in the Palm Springs, California, area. My relatives here are complaining that it is cold because the temperature is only 72F. The swimming pool is kept at 92F though. I don't want to return, but have to be back around the end of the month.

I have to say that when they first announced that snowboarding was going to be an Olympic event I was skeptical.That thought sure was put to rest by the unbelievable performances by these young snow boarders, both the men's and women's competitions.What they do on those boards is nothing short of a breath taking miracle performance.Canada now has a bronze in this event and the kid had a broken rib...I can't even stand up on one of those things.

@Old Cat----ah, the good old days---I Remember those afternoons at the Old Gardens for Winterfest.Or was it the evening?Hardly good family fun.How times have changed.I still have some Bon Soo Tokens.At a buck each they were good for one Dorans Draught.Oh , how I miss Dorans Draught.I have to wonder if they had been awarded pouring rights at Essar if they would still be around.That Steelhead in the plastic bottles was pretty gross.

"useful idiots" .. generally attributed to Lenin. He was describing "propagandists" who while promoting a cause, have no real idea of the consequences. Earlier examples were folks such as H.G. Wells, Paul Robeson, and Doris Lessing.Today, the candidates would be Joe Biden, Al Gore, and Elroy "Justin" Jetson.On here, the handles Grunt, TP and Flyhawk come to mind.

I prefer to call them simply "Liberals".As we all know what a liberal stands for that seems to bother a true liberal the most....which is why many of them call themselves "Progressives" or "Centrist" now.

It is nicer to discuss issues rather than sniping at each other. I know..dream on eh. I still enjoy letters to the editor as they tend to be filled with information that one can read and enjoy for the most part. The suggestions for debating tend to go out the window when posters go on line.

You, and those like you, deride those who warn that manmade emissions are causing the earth's air temperature to rise. Calling them names and otherwise being disrespectful and dismissive is generally the modus operandi. On Wednesday (the 15th) an article was published on the Opinion pages of the Tampa Bay Times. Google "No evidence behind climate denialism" and read that piece. If that doesn't cause you to wonder then I think I would be safe in concluding that there is no "wonder" in you. Certainly no science."

Who da thunk that the grandmaster of google couldn't find this article. Is it because you didn't want to be bothered? Doesn't fit with your theories? Whatever was the reason it really doesn't matter, does it? If you are being honest you've got a pretty good idea of the answer.

I had a couple of posts on that day mostly talking about restaurants.My last post was several hours prior to yours and then I was not on the site for the rest of the day.I know you are a legend in your own mind but I don't go back and check each day to see if you have addressed something to me.

Hey G3 you really have a tough gig down there don't you? Arizona is pretty much the same, if you swim when it's in the lower 70s they think you are crazy and know that you are Canadian. The last several years have been very busy for me as generally I get a bit of time for a holiday between jobs but no such joy for a while now. I have also been busy keeping Fly and Bobby on the straight and narrow and that could be another full time job. We are presently up to our butts in snow so don't rush back any sooner than need be. I think Wicket was planning a get together for later Feb. so will likely see you then. Say hello to the boss for me. Take care G.

Bounder I'm sorry you thought I was insulting you when I spoke of the swamp people this morning. Then again you live in the bush, you are rude and crude, you talk uniformed crap most of the time. Hell's bells if it walks the walk and talks the talk I guess you are a swamper and thriving on it. LMAO

gcubed, that's not palm springs. It's California swamps. And you should behave yourself there, that's a pinko state, so watch yourself and wait a couple days and the swamp in California will run out of water.

You don't have to tell us the water temperature, we know it very well, all vermin are out, that meas warm water.

Enjoy yourselves and regards to the rest of the family.

And not to worry if you support the Harper Government, no one is perfect.

David P Cloud people would better describe the neo-con section of this blog. Their heads are so out of touch with reality that it certainly fits quite well. rw and the posse use the word Liberal as if it left a bad taste in their mouths but to me it's a whole lot closer to what the Conservatives were before Mulroney and Harper. The Conservatives for the most part were folks with some vision and character. That certainly can't be said these days. So I'm fine with Liberal. Thanks for the thought.

Sometimes people challenge posters like Flyhawlk and other time Spellchecker, and I have appreciation and respect for both of them, mostly for Fly as he was born a slightly before me.

Now, this issue of challenges and comparatives, typical in the cons field, like: us or the child abusers and situations of that nature, are not new, not at all.

Sometimes, we step in the arena fueled for our principles and things don't work that way.

Here is a variation of Aesop's fable, The Monkey King:

The Lion was feeling strong and proud and wanted to confirm he was the king of the jungle.As he went about the Majestic African Jungle, the Lion met the Monkey,stopped and asked him: "Who is the King of the Jungle?"The Monkey bowed and answered "You Sire".

With a smile of satisfaction and feeling grand and reassured the Lion saw the Hyena and repeated the question to the Hyena who again confirmed that indeed the Lion was the King of the Jungle.

The Lion then noticed an Elephant towering above him. Solemnly chewing the bark of a Mopani tree."Who is the King of the Jungle?" the Lion briskly demanded of the elephant.

Now the elephant large and dominating believes himself to be the king of the jungle and he did not appreciate this little upstart bothering him while he was eating. So without further ado the elephant swooped the Lion off its feetand threw him against the Mopani tree.

Before the Lion could shake his senses back, the elephant picked it up again and beat him against a rock.

The Lion managed to break free from the powerful grip of the elephant's trunk, stood at a distance and said:

"No, no, no, you do not have to be so nasty and violent, just because you do not know the answer".

Check in the yellow pages for suppliers, I do not like to recommend one over the other.. As for what he needs, good leather gloves, a good fireproof leather/canvas apron, steel toes boots, and eye wear.. I am not sure what supplies the school has as far as safety equipment goes, but they should be suppling at least the eye protection. As for cost Boots are in the $100 range, leather gloves $50/75 apron $300/100 depending leather or canvas.. Not exactly a cheap occupation, especially if you want to take it up afterwards, however it can be a rewarding job and if you like travel it can take you over the world...

the school provides a few things at a cost of course..safety glasses, the use of coats and gloves. my son said that they need to upgrade. he feels safer wearing the gloves he wears outside.. thanks for the suggestions.

I find it interesting that both "sides" on here think they are the better side with less arrogance and rudeness name calling etc.

I think both "sides" are pretty much equal as far as both sides have their share of bullies, arrogant self righteous blatherskites , misinformed know it all (if one can be misinformed and a know it all at the same time).

Carry on kids.. young and old. Holding on to the fact that "the Pope sits to sh*t the same as you or I" should give you a clue that you are all equally arrogant, annoying, rude misinformed etc etc,, you are all basically the same. Get over yourselves and take a good long look at what you each post.. it's laughable the way you malign each other.

Remember when we were kids and would insult the other.. the come back was "it takes one to know one" Chew on that.. discussion to follow I'm sure :)

Grump: leave your sexual fantasies about me at the dump. The dumbing down of Canada continues,almost time to slide the lid back on the septic tank for another day. Off to the Palace for burritos; I'll send you some tomorrow Grump/Cramp.

GrumpetI didn't take that personally , you have to consider where it comes from, someone with low respect for fellow human beings.Grow up my big dough boy, got out and play and leave the posters alone.

David P. I would certainly like to think so. They made a huge mistake when they got rid of Joe Clark and elected Mulroney. That said cash stuffed envelopes and all Mulroney was a Prince next to Harper. Stacking the Senate, election fraud, Robo calls, Harper advertising on the public dime, lies, secrecy on and on. The good Conservatives can't stand him or the way he operates any better than we can (swampers not included). Hugh Segal being a fine example of an honourable Tory who couldn't handle all the underhanded crap going on. I hope it gets back to what it was but it doesn't look too promising right now.

Bounder I have all the respect for those that deserve it. That said I have little to none for rude and crude name callers and so I respond in kind. And just who in the hell do you think you are or have become to tell anyone anything? Go play with the other swampers, you fit in much better there.

The only 3 flags at city hall should be the Municipal, Provincial & Canadian flag. It's not a public advertising fairground.

The Olympics are about competing against the best each country has to offer in sports. It has nothing to do with politics or anti-gay laws. If you don't like Russia's anti-gay laws... TOO BAD! That's why you're Canadian.

You don't go to someone else's country to impose your ideas on them, no matter how much you disagree with them.

This is the kind of thing that makes Canadians worse than Americans in some instances.

Grumpet,and I'm name calling you've got to be joking or your suffering from some mental block where your mind doesn't see what your posting.Other posters have you in their sights, but you never noticed them either.Point is ,you see only what you want, hamburgers and greasy food.

Just came back from an excellent meal at Casa Mia. At the corner of McNabb and Great Northern there is a huge lake created by a water main break in front of Soo Quick Lane. Must be a 50 ft stretch of roadway that is lifted and split. Amazed at the drivers that race through the deep pool of water and speed past PUC workers.

Flying the rainbow flag is a one time thing, for this occasion only, showing Mr Putin that not everybody is a bigoted as_hole like he is.This is 2014, sexual orientation is not even worth discussing, let alone sending someone to jail for.As far as respecting other countries' laws and norms.....I totally disagree.Stoning women for adultery, cutting off hands for petty theft, ritualistic genital mutilation is not something we should "respect" or tolerate.In my humble opinion we should also raise the rainbow flag in front of the Saudi and Ugandan embassy .

Evening folks.. This message is for MALLET and has to do with our little chit chat about weiners on Feb. 6th. and 7th.that we had in the red room. Since the red room is a Social Room, i best say my piece in here as it has to do with the Male Anatomy called the Penis. Now dear,, i really thought you would be apologizing for making it sound like i was the one that suggested that you stick a pill up your weiner ( as you call your Penis that ) so your dog could eat it. You know full well that i said to put your dogs pill IN a weinier and she might swallow it better. You turned it all around and made a lewd joke of it making it seem that i was the one responsible for it.. I was not impressed!! Since i did not receive a proper apology,, just that you were having some fun, after i corrected you.. does not make the grade! It seems to me that you need a little clarification on the difference between a "" weiner" ( that is what you called your " penis " right? ).. and a Penis.... A weiner.. is a form of meat, and a .. Penis.. is part of the Male Anatomy which is connected to the Testicles. Since you seem to think that your Penis is a weiner, then we must assume that you call your Testies wee marshmallows and in your case you may be right as you did not stand up like a Man and apologize to the fact that you were the one making the lewd jokes and not meself. You said that i didn"t clarify meself by not adding that a "" weiner"" should be called a .. weiner hot dog...Do i have to spell that one out for you also??.. The weiner is the meat and the bun it sits in is called a .. hotdog bun.... I hope this clears up any confusion that you might still think that your Penis is a weiner, you know,, that is what the wee children call it, but i had assumned that you were a grown Man and knew the difference, i thought wrong.... I still think an apology is due... if your " marshmallows are up to it... thank you,, that"s all.....

I am sorry that you found my reply to your suggestion offensive. It was not meant to be as others found it funny. I am sorry that I forgot that the some Irish are somewhat straight laced,however I shall not make that mistake again. You have a nice life..

Hey swampers I'm back. Did you three amigos get your feelings hurt? Too bad. I'm sad but that said I don't give a furry rat's butt if you rude clowns have hurt feelings or not. You fellows have to be triplets because three families couldn't have raised three like you on their own. Bounder going out to eat at a nice place is called fine dining. You stick with your grits and hog jowls and don't forget the wormy perch. I'm glad you three have each others shoulders to cry on about big bad Grump. TLMAO